Introduction to Montreal Tour: From Fur Trade To Today

A native Montrealer, Daniel has always been fascinated with the history of his city. In the 90s, Daniel founded was at the forefront of Montreal's famed "club scene;" publishing Hombre Magazine which chronicled the nightlife and artistic milieus of the time. He holds degrees in Art History, City Design, and Law. As an undergraduate student, Daniel explored the history of architecture and urban development of Montreal. One of his mentors during this period was the renowned architectural historian and archaeologist Jean Belisle. Daniel's graduate thesis at the London School of Economics examined Montreal's famous Indoor City as an ideal typology for the Global Economy. He has designed and conducted tours for Heritage Montreal, the city's main architectural and urban conservation group. Daniel recently passed the Bar exams in the Province of Ontario, and will be fulfilling the remainder of his licencing requirements beginning in September. From the great sites, to the intimate histories, he is looking forward to sharing his insights of Montreal with you, and helping you feel at home during your visit.

Justin Bur chose to live in Montreal 30 years ago to benefit from its vibrant mix of cultures, finding life much more interesting in two languages than just one. His lifelong fascination with the workings of cities and their transportation systems led him to obtain a master's degree in urban planning from Université de Montréal in 1994. Since then, he has further explored numerous topics in the history of Montreal's urban development, including the 200 years of evolution of the Mile End neighborhood; Saint-Laurent Boulevard, from country houses to a lively multicultural microcosm of the city; and the development of Montreal's road, rail and public transit networks. He has been active since 2007 with two local historical societies, the <a href="http://amisboulevardstlaurent.com/?lang=en">Friends of Saint-Laurent Boulevard</a> and <a href="http://memoire.mile-end.qc.ca/?lang=en/?lang=en">Mile End Memories</a>, for which he has led numerous walking tours and lectured and written on neighborhood history. His goal has always been to understand the present state of the city through an exploration of its past – combining approaches from history, geography, and urban planning – in order to tell true stories about the evolution of his favorite places.

Suzanne is a true child of Montreal, with an English mother and French father, being raised in a bilingual home. She now teaches English as second language in a French school board. Suzanne holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology/Archaeology and a second Bachelor’s degree in Education. Both as a member of its society and as an academic, Suzanne’s background gives her a unique perspective on the cultural and linguistic diversity of Montreal. She is captivated by the European flair found in its architecture, the humour, the music, the vibrant social life which takes place on its popular outdoor terraces, it renowned fine cuisine. Suzanne is also interested in the prominence of the church in Quebec life and how the collective population rose up and adopted more liberal views in the last half of the 20th Century. Suzanne is eager to share her love of Montreal and to delve into some of the topics that make Montreal and Quebec as a whole a French province that has successfully survived and maintained its distinct personality and joie-de-vivre.